1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to coated cylinder liners and methods of funning the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cylinders of internal combustion engines often include a sleeve or liner providing an inner surface of the cylinder. The cylinder liner includes a substrate that can be fitted to the engine block to form the cylinder. The inner surface of the cylinder liner faces toward a piston and provides an interface or sliding surface for the piston or piston rings during operation of the internal combustion engine. Thus, the substrate of the cylinder liner is typically formed of a hard, wear resistant material. The cylinder liner is also preferably formed of a material capable of handling the extreme conditions encountered during a combustion cycle, including high temperatures and pressures. In attempt to improve wear resistance provided by the cylinder liner, coatings have been applied to the inner surface of the substrate. Examples of the wear resistant coatings include diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,554 to Tamor et al.